puff

[[t]pʌf[/t]]

n.

1) a short, quick blast or emission of air, smoke, vapor, etc

2) a small emission of vapor, smoke, etc

3) the sound of an emission of vapor, smoke, etc

4) cvb an act of inhaling and exhaling, as on a cigarette or pipe; whiff

5) an inflated or distended part of a thing; swelling; protuberance

6) coo a ball of light pastry baked and filled with whipped cream, jam, etc

7) clo a portion of material gathered and held down at the edges but left full in the middle, as on a sleeve

8) clo a cylindrical roll of hair

9) clo tex a quilted bed covering, usu. filled with down

10) a commendation, esp. an exaggerated one, of a book, an actor's performance, etc

11) clo

powder puff

12) cvb a ball or pad of soft material

13) to blow with short, quick blasts, as the wind

14) to be emitted in a puff

15) to emit a puff or puffs of air; breathe quick and hard

16) to emit puffs of vapor or smoke

17) to go or move with puffing or puffs:

The train puffed into the station[/ex]

18) to take puffs at a cigar, cigarette, etc

19) to become inflated or distended (usu. fol. by up)

20) to send forth (air, vapor, etc.) in short, quick blasts

21) to drive or impel by puffing, or with a short, quick blast

22) to smoke (a cigar, cigarette, etc.)

23) to inflate or distend, esp. with air

24) cvb to make fluffy; fluff (often fol. by up):

to puff up a pillow[/ex]

25) to inflate with pride, vanity, etc. (often fol. by up):

Their applause puffed him up[/ex]

26) to praise unduly

27) clo to arrange in puffs, as the hair

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Etymology: 1175–1225; (v.) ME puffen (cf. MD puffen, LG pof, puf); (n.) ME puf, puffe; of imit. orig. puff′y, adj. puff•i•er, puff•i•est. puff′i•ly, adv. puff′i•ness, n.